LEXI'S POV"Are you okay?"I looked up at Chase, surprised that he had already entered the room without me noticing it. I managed a faint smile. After everything that happened earlier, Chelsea chose to go home with their parents, while Chase stayed here at his condo to keep me company. After his bold declaration earlier, his father had stormed off in silence, followed by my own father. It seemed none of them could believe what he had said."Chelsea said they’re home now, and it’s peaceful there," he added, breaking the silence.I took a deep breath, letting my thoughts wander back to the events of the day. Everything was becoming far too complicated. When I saw Aunt Minda earlier, my hands trembled with rage. I wanted to confront her, to scream at her for what she had done, but I couldn’t let her know that I already knew the truth. I didn’t have a solid plan yet on how to get back at her.I knew their mother-daughter act was calculated. They had likely orchestrated the events earlier
THIRD POV“Can I finally get your approval to marry Lexi?” Chase asked, emotionless.Chase was currently at his family’s mansion, summoned by his father. He had left Lexi at the condo, still sound asleep. He had written her a note to ensure she wouldn’t worry when she woke up.It was the weekend, and Chase had planned to take Lexi out for some relaxation. However, since speaking with his father was a rare opportunity, he decided to indulge the older man’s request.“I want to understand why you’re so eager to marry that woman,” his father said seriously.He let out a bitter laugh. “Aren’t you the one pushing me to get married? That’s why you want me to marry that woman you liked,” he retorted."That woman has a name. It's Shiela.""Lexi also had a name," he said seriously.His father took a deep breath. “All we want is what’s best for you. Your mother chose Shiela because she knows who’s best for you. And it’s her.”Chase looked at his mother in disbelief. He had always thought she was
SHIELA'S POV"Where are you going?" Mama asked as soon as she saw me step out of my room."I need some air, Mama. I just want to relax," I replied quickly.Mama took a deep breath. She knew very well that when I wanted to go out, it meant I was extremely stressed out. There wasn’t much I could do right now since she told me to lie low. She assured me that she was handling things to stop Chase and Lexi's wedding, so I should just rest for now."Fix yourself up because Chase's mother called. Mrs. Mirasol, the grandmother, wants to meet you," Mama said seriously."When will that be?" I asked eagerly.This was a great opportunity to win Chase's grandmother over. If I could secure the approval of his entire family, Lexi might back out of the wedding herself.“Tonight. We’re having dinner at their place. Make sure you’re home early,” Mama replied.I nodded quickly. “Alright, Mama. I’ll come home early.”“You better. You need to get on his grandmother’s good side. Who knows? She might even a
THIRD POV"Are you ready?" Ricky asked his wife and daughter seriously as they prepared to leave for the Sandoval mansion.Shiela descended the stairs with a broad smile on her face. She was wearing a maroon dress paired with 4-inch heels, her hair styled and makeup flawless. She had meticulously prepared for this dinner because she was finally meeting Chase's grandmother. She will make sure that the woman will like her for her grandson."Behave yourselves, both of you. We can’t afford to embarrass ourselves in front of Mrs. Sandoval," Ricky added sternly.Minda chuckled. “When have we ever embarrassed you? It was always Emerald staining your name,” she said bluntly.“This will be the last time. Shiela, I want you to start forgetting Chase. Let’s leave him and your sister alone,” Ricky said flatly.Ricky had spent days thinking about his decision. He realized he had been unfair to his daughter Lexi and didn’t want to force Shiela onto Chase anymore. Forcing their marriage could only l
LEXI'S POV"Grandma, how did you meet Lexi?" Chase asked as we were currently eating dinner.Earlier, I felt uncomfortable because my father was there too, but things have eased up since I discovered that Chase's grandmother was the kind lady who helped me years ago. It really might be true that the world is too small."She was the young lady I helped six years ago. She was in trouble and couldn't pay for her things, so I stepped in and paid for them," Grandma began."Oh, Mrs. Sandoval, that's just how Lexi has always been—reckless. She always burns through her allowance too quickly," Aunt Minda chimed in, obviously trying to ruin my reputation in front of everyone.Mrs. Mirasol frowned. "That's not what she told me. She said her father cut off her credit card," she replied, looking puzzled."Ye—""Well, you can't always trust her. She lied to us many times before," Aunt Minda interrupted me.I looked down, unable to defend myself. I didn't want Grandma Mirasol to think badly of me, b
LEXI'S POV"Lex," Chase called out to me.The three of us were now in Chelsea’s room. But Chelsea had gone downstairs to grab some snacks, leaving me staring out the window. From here, I could see the garden where Grandma Mirasol and Shiela were talking."I think my sister is badmouthing me to your grandmother," I said, my voice tinged with worry.Chase let out a deep breath. I felt his arms wrap around my waist, his chin resting lightly on my shoulder."You don’t have to worry about Grandma. You showed her who you truly are six years ago," he said seriously.I smiled as memories of the past came flooding back. "The world is really small. To think that one of the reasons I was able to finish school was because of your grandmother. She’s so kind, Grey. I am seeing my late grandmother to her.""You don’t need to worry about her. She’s on our side," he reassured me.That’s when I realized something. I turned to face him, still wrapped in his arms."Wait, does she know about our agreement
LEXI'S POVAfter everything, Chase and I agreed to stay the night at his family's house. I could feel that his father had already accepted me, but what lingered in my mind was his stepmother. She had remained silent and simply observed us earlier. I didn’t want to assume she was like Aunt Minda, but I couldn’t help but worry. Still, I felt somewhat relieved now that Chase's family had agreed to formally visit mine. This meant our wedding was finally happening."Chase, my grandson, I’ll allow you to sleep in the same room, but I must ask you, please, don’t let me have a great-grandchild before the wedding. Be a gentleman, alright?" Grandma Mirasol reminded him.I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw Chase’s face turn red."And you, Lexi. Don’t surrender just yet, alright?" she teased, turning to me.This time, it was Chase who laughed. I secretly pinched his side in retaliation. If only Grandma knew I’d already surrendered that."Don’t worry, Grandma. Go on and sleep," Chase urged her."
CHASE'S POV9 years ago...It was the first day of school, and I was already on campus early. While walking, my friend Jay suddenly tapped me on the shoulder. He is my teammate in basketball and has been my classmate since junior high school.“I heard there were a lot of transferees this year,” he began.That wasn’t surprising. Many schools in our area only went up to junior high, so most students transferred here for senior high.“Stop it. You won’t get anything from it,” I replied flatly. I know Jay too well—he has a thing for transferee girls who match his type.“Did you know the sister of your persistent admirer is studying here now?” he added, walking beside me.I didn’t respond because a girl caught my attention. I saw her trip and fall flat on the ground, almost kissing the pavement. The laughter of the crowd filled the air, and I could only shake my head.“She could’ve been pretty, but she’s nerdy and clumsy,” Jay commented, also witnessing what happened.Honestly, I hated thi
LEXI’S POVI couldn’t stop smiling as I stared at Chase’s things here in the room where he had proposed to me. It had been six months since that day—six months since our baby was born. Now and then, I sneak away just to come back here and revisit the past, back when we were still in high school.I still can’t believe he managed to keep almost everything—from the letters I gave him, to the photos we had taken in that old studio, even the receipts from the convenience store where we used to get ice cream all the time. Most of the writing on the receipts had faded, almost unreadable now.“So this is where you’ve been hiding.”“Goodness, you startled me!”Chase laughed at my reaction when he suddenly spoke. I glared at him, but he quickly stepped closer and kissed me on the forehead.“You’re so cute when you’re startled, Baby,” he said.“How’d you know I was here?” I asked, steering the conversation.“I heard that you always sneak in here whenever Baby Trem is napping,” he replied serious
LEXI'S POVFLASHBACK (9 years ago)"Hey, Lexi, you're going with us on the field trip, right? I'm so excited!"I looked at Savina, who was already sitting beside me. It was our lunch break, and we decided to hang out inside the classroom instead of going outside. We had just finished eating, and Savina was worried that we might run into Shiela if we stepped out—my sister tended to bully me whenever the opportunity presented itself."Yeah. I have already told Papa. Since Shiela's going, I have to go too," I replied seriously."So, if Shiela decides not to go, you're not going either? Gosh, you're like your witch sister's shadow," she said, pouting.I gave her a light smack on the arm. "Keep your voice down. Someone might hear you."Savina rolled her eyes at me. "I don’t get you sometimes. You let your sister treat you like that. You’re being way too much of a pushover," she said, clearly disappointed.I gave her a small smile. We’d had this conversation so many times, but I never got t
LEXI’S POVI couldn’t hold back my tears as I took in the entire room. It was filled with stolen pictures of me, from as far back as high school, all the way through my working years. There were so many that they nearly covered the entire space. Tiny lights hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow across the room. The floor was blanketed in petals from different kinds of flowers.And when my gaze landed on the man kneeling in the center of the room, I instinctively covered my mouth. He was crying too, holding a small red box. The moment the light hit what was inside, it sparkled."Hi, Baby," he said with a smile, despite his tears still falling."Grey..." was all I managed to say."Didn’t I tell you I would make things right once the chaos was over? And this is the right time to do it. Lexi, please... marry me again."I was about to answer when a sudden sharp pain hit my lower back. I instinctively clutched my belly."Baby, are you coming out now?" I whispered, gently rubbing my ver
LEXI'S POVThe months passed quickly. We won the cases we filed against Aunt Minda and Aunt Anna, and they were both sentenced to life imprisonment. As for Shiela, she has completely lost her sanity and is now confined to a mental institution to recover. A lot has changed since the chaos ended.I’m once again managing my father's company. Papa is now resting at home, having fully passed on the business to me. Chelsea returned to the U.S. with Grandma Mirasol to finish her studies there. Chase and I are temporarily staying at the Sandoval mansion while our own house is under construction. Their home is much closer to our workplaces, so we decided it would be more convenient to stay there for now.Chase is now running TAC, as Papa Carlo has retired. He just travels back and forth between the U.S. and the Philippines now, enjoying his free time.My belly is huge now—in fact, I'm due any moment. Chase no longer allows me to go to the office, so my secretary comes to the house to bring doc
LEXI'S POVI looked away the moment I saw Shiela standing near us. Her hands were still in handcuffs, and two police officers were keeping close watch over her. If I wasn’t mistaken, she was about to be taken to a psychiatrist for evaluation.“Shiela, my child,” Papa said through tears as he approached my sister.“Child? Do you still consider me your child? You didn’t even tell me you had recovered. You made me believe you hadn’t yet,” Shiela said, crying.I felt Chase hold my hand. I looked at him, and he gave me a small, reassuring smile. I knew he was just trying to give me strength at that moment.“I did that for everyone’s sake, Shiela.”“For everyone’s sake or for your precious daughter Lexi’s sake? Well, I shouldn’t be surprised. She’s always been your favorite.”“That’s not true. You are both my children. In fact, I gave you more attention before because I didn’t want you to feel like you had to compete with your sister,” Papa explained gently.“Why does it feel like I owe you
LEXI’S POV"Gino!"We turned to look at Gino's sister as she arrived at the hospital. Chase had chosen to call her to inform her of what had happened. He believed their parents were abroad."Don’t be so dramatic. It’s just a scratch," Gino said, trying to calm his sister."Still! Tell me, which of my men shot you?" Charlene asked frantically."Enough, Charlene. I’m not the victim here. It’s Lexi."Charlene slowly turned to look at me. She couldn’t meet my eyes and kept fiddling with her fingers."Sorry. Shiela told me she would hand you over to Gino. I thought I was making the right decision," she said softly."No worries, Charlene. I know you were just thinking of your brother. But everything’s fine now," I said seriously.I really had no intention of dragging Gino’s sister into this any further. Yes, Shiela used one of her men, but everything was already too messy to involve Charlene. Besides, Chase had already told me that even before Shiela called him, Gino had already informed hi
THIRD POVLexi was about to reach for Gino’s hand to go with him when they both froze—Shiela’s cell phone suddenly rang. They simultaneously turned to look at the young woman as she fished the phone out of her bag. Lexi was suddenly filled with anxiety for a reason she couldn't quite explain.“Yes, Charlene?” Shiela answered the call.“You fool! Where are you right now? Have you got Lexi yet?” Charlene asked nervously.“Why? What’s wrong?” Shiela asked, confused.“My god, Shiela! If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have let you use my people. I might get dragged into your family’s mess,” Charlene snapped.“Wait, wait—what are you talking about?”“Don’t you know yet? Your mother is already in police custody. She’s being charged with murder.”Shiela turned pale at the news. Her heartbeat quickened with fear, and her hands began to sweat.“A-are you sure about that?”"Shiela, it’s on national TV. The whole country knows what your mother did, and Chase’s mother is involved, too.
THIRD POVShiela gave a bitter smile upon hearing the voice of the man who had hurt her repeatedly. The sweet, affectionate tone he used with her just days ago was now gone. It was all an act—to get information about her mother.“Relax. There’s no need to get mad, Chase. They’re safe for now,” she said emotionlessly.“Don’t you dare hurt them,” Chase said, panic in his voice.She smiled again and sighed deeply. “You’ve got some nerve to say that to me now. You lied to me and gave me false hope. All those lies—for what? To get information?”“And why would I get information from you? Do you even know what really happened with the fire in my condo back then?” Chase shot back.Shiela froze, still burning with rage. She took a deep breath as the man she had called earlier finally arrived. He was panting, clearly having run a long way to reach the location. She gave him a faint smile and turned her attention back to the person on the phone.“I’m sure you won’t report this to the police. Eve
THIRD POVChase’s office was thick with tension. His father and his sister Chelsea were there. Spread out on his table were the pieces of evidence he had gathered to strengthen the case he filed against his stepmother and her lover, Minda. His father examined them one by one, while he and Chelsea waited in silence for his reaction.“Papa, I’m sorry that this is how you had to find out everything,” he finally broke the silence.Chelsea stepped closer to him and held his hand tightly. He was immensely grateful to his sister; despite the pain of everything happening, she still chose to stand by what was right. Now, all he hoped was that their father would do the same.Carlo slowly set the papers down and let out a deep sigh. “I never thought my wife would go this far,” he said, clearly dismayed.The siblings exchanged glances. Their father was calm. He didn’t even look surprised—almost as if he already knew all of it.“Papa,” Chelsea called softly.“I’ve known for a long time that your m